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CompactBSD for Embedded Projects

Posted by michael on from the bsd-inside dept.

miggidy_mac writes "FatPort (a wireless Internet service provider in Vancouver, BC) just released CompactBSD. It's a set of tools that allow you to build your own customized, lightweight distribution of OpenBSD and then burns it onto compact flash (or similar) so that it can be run on an embedded PC platform (like FatPort's own FatPoint). CompactBSD takes the security and networking features of OpenBSD that we know and love, and combines them with ease-of-build and small footprint, which is great for embedded devices. Check out the project on SourceForge."

2 of 151 comments (clear)

  1. Re:My Faith is Restored by Chan01 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    why is BSD dying and why is linux taking over? I personally like both of them and have no real preference for one.

  2. This is neat and all.. BUT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    OpenBSD is not dying. It's not dead. Its a very nice flavor of UNIX. These things are not the problem. The problem IS OpenBSD's security. They are simply not secure. I will explain, please don't flame until you hear me out:

    1. cvs.openbsd.org was compromised in December.

    2. The entire OpenBSD tree was modified.

    3. Theo does not disclose security vulnerabilities
    as he should. Theo did not willingly disclose the
    compromise. Only due to pressure from his peers
    was anything mentioned. There has been backdoors
    in the kernel, openssh, and numerous other areas
    since OpenBSD 3.0.

    4. The integrity of OpenBSD can no longer be trusted, one would have to audit the base distro
    and OpenSSH to understand the true nature of this
    problem. The backdoors being inserted into the code are not obvious. They are carefully obscured as "bad coding practice" - these items have been audited and fixed before, but the code in question
    was modified AGAIN. Theo simply cannot reaudit the
    entire tree again in the amount of time required.

    5. OpenBSD developers are aiding in the entities attacking it. They are inserting these changes willingly into the tree, so no matter how often Theo audits, there will always be a backdoor. He would have to fire almost his entire staff to get the moles out.

    6. OpenBSD's kernel is remotely exploitable. Enough said.

    I have migrated my entire network away from OpenBSD. I urge someone to take up the project and audit the code, and fork it off. It's a great idea, a great package, and very lightweight, but it is no longer secure.